Clip clinching machine



Oct. 7, 1952 G. R. REED CLIP CLINCHING MACHINE Filed Jan. 18, 1947 2 srmsrs-sxma'r 1 l5 Q INVENTOR.

EE IJQETE R. REED BY nrramve'xs Oct. 7, 1952 G. R. REED 25612333 cm? CLINCHING macums Filed Jan. 18, 1947 2 Vmmmnm /5 T 5&58 INVENTOR.

EEEIFQETE RREED BY W% Patented Oct. 7, 1952 UNITED smras OFFICJEL h 2,612,933 m onmcnmcnmamonmn George Rt Reed; 'Grosse Pointe Park, Mich., as-

signer to Eaton Manufacturing Gompany, Cleveland oliio;.ateorpomtionotOhio.1 I i Application January. is, inane-name.teases #:Claims; (C12 153 43 Thisinv'ention relates 'to've'liiclesuspeneion springs and more particularlyto tl'i'e-yassembly thereof.

Broadly the inventioncompretiendstheprovision of means forclinching clips around an as sembly of nested spring leaves for the purpose of retaining the spring leaves in proper assembly for operational use as" springsuspenSionmeniberS in vehicles; i

Although nested or group assemblies oi le'a! springs have been produced for a; great many years it Wasnot until the innovation oftheinstant invention that'a nest or group ot spring leaves was retained-at the ends- -thereof relative to one another by clips arrangedin embracini: relation to the springs, wherein the clip's' are clinched-upon the assembly of springsthy-an automatic clinching machine 'in an'. easy; quick and efhcient manner;-

objector the invention is th'e rprovision oi means for clamping 'aplurality of" leai' springs together substantially at the ends thereot'.

Another objectorthe invention ie: the: provision of a machine for automaticallyfastening or clinching clips around a group: of ll'eai' spmngs eiiective to retain said springs in assembly during the operational use thereor'as al vehicle-"sue pensionleaf spring assembly.

A further object of the invention: is the provision of a machine, automatically operable to clinch spring clips around "a plurality of. flat spring leaves near the ends: thereof effective. to retain said springs in l assembly and permitting a. slight sliding movement between lthe-ileasxea as requiredfor operational use- Other objects and advanta'gesu of the slum tion will appear from the following dbSOflp'tlbn taken in connection with the drawings, forming a part of the specification; and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a machine for clinching clips upon a vehiciele'afspring'assembly taken along thelines: 1-1. 01'. Fig.2;

Fig. 2 is a view taken along impala-21in! Fig.1.

Fig. 3 is a sectionalizedview oi the machine shown by FigsQl and Zill'ustrating the initial phase of operation thereof; a

'Fig. 4 isa phaseof operation-"of themac-hine subsequent to the initial 'phase'thereof,?and

Fig. 5il1ustrates the ii'naiphase of operation of the machine. 7 I

The present invention waa' devised totalleviate ineiliciencies in the cunenmgof en s uponlear spring assemblies for 'retaini'n'a'the leaves or springs in properrelation to one another wherein the'clip's have, prior to this invention, beanie-ssembled entirely by manual means. lByfautomatically clinching the'clips uponleai spring assemblies as taught by this invention and as carried out by the illustrated machine a higher quality product is obtained in an easier, quicker andieconomicalmanner therebyrepresenting the comparative" gain over: previously adopted' methxo'dso'f' assembly relative to the :sameoperation.

antomatically operable clinching: machine is simple: in its' embodiment in that itconstitutes one major actuating member "anda pair orstationary'members with whichthe actuating-mem her is cooperable' effectiveto. bend the preformed clip tonecessaryshape conformingwith "the internal spring assemblyshape and thence bring theendsof theclip together intolockingengagement with oneanother.

Referringto the drawings for more specific details of the invention 10- represents generallya leartspring assembly "clip clinching-machine comprislng' a stationary horizontally arranged bed or base l2- having a stationary-vertically arranged upright ll secured thereto:

Thebase l2 has'slidably-arranged thereon a head arrangement IB- adapte'd 'tobe actuated by as'haft IG irom a suitable source of power, not shown said head comprising" a pressure block 18 axially, resiliently supported thereon and relativelymovable thereto and apressurearm 20 pivotally'securedupon'shaft n mountedin the head having, a short extension 24 that is, adjustable in one pivotal direction at one end thereof and a forming die head on the end-thereof oppositely disposed from the extensionfl, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

The arm 20 engages dnringga phase of its operation a head member'ZB securedto and horizontally extendlngfrom the face 3'0-of-upright, said member havlng a oamiace-GZ' iormed on the-underside thereofpresenting anangular portion 34 andahorizontal portion-36; the purpose-of which will hereinafter appear.

The'pressure block "I 8 is adapted; upon the operational actuation thereof when: a leaf spring assembly-"is placed in the machine, to'cooperate with a pressuread 38 comprising a horizontal section and apair of vertical" arms- 42-, said pressure pad being normally urged in a horizontal direction towardblock lil by a, spring 44 that is mountedbetween a carriage *46 slidably sup.- portedupon upright I 4 andan endiplate '41 fixedly secured upon the'back of "upright 14..

A stationary forming member 48 is fixedly secured upon the face-of upright 14 and provides a die surface 50 on the face thereof cooperable with the other members of the "machine for clinching clips'upon thespring assemblies.

Ina normal "operation of the-machinewherein *a spring assembly 52- comprising "aplurality of spring leaves, conventionally" secured together through the center ofthe assembly; not shown, is inserted in the machine with a preformed clip 54, as shown by Fig. 3', manually placed thereon and with the spring assembly arranged vertically therein, wherein one leaf of the assembly bears against the face 56 of arms 42 and one end 58 of the clip is received between the arms 42 and the other end 60 extends substantially, vertically adjacent the spring assembly, the head .I5 "is actuated from its power source by shaft [6 resulting in initially moving block 18 into engagement with the central portion 62 of the clip resulting vise jaw therebetween adapted to hold the work in firmly gripping the clip and spring assembly between itself and arms 42.

As the head is further actuated. through its horizontal path the nose of forming head 2-6 on arm 22 engages the end 60 of the clip forcing it forward ahead of the arm, said arm meanwhile being resisted from outward pivotal motion by the adjustment on extension 24. The continued movement of head and arm results in bringing the upper surface'of forming die head 26 into engagement withthe annular. portion134 of cam surface 32 whereby'the arm is pivoted against the end Eli of the clip at a point horiaontally beyond the spring assembly effective to thrust the end 68 substantially vertically downward to a position adjacent the end58 of the clip. Simultaneously with this operation the pressure block maintains the spring assembly in vertically clamped position. in that the spring pressure of the block is lighter than that of spring 44 acting upon pressure pad 38 resisting the horizontal movement thereof.

With the completion of thisphase of operation the movement of block i 8 to abutment upon head i5 as shown by Fig. 4 of the drawings, the further actuation of head [5 moves arm 20 and block 18 as a unit against pad 38 thus moving the pad causing resistance of spring 84 wherein the upper surface of arm 28 ridesupon the horizontal portion of cam 32 on member 28 and firmly holds the clip in the position of Fig. 2 thus bringing the spring assembly and the clip into engagement with the diesurface 58 of forming member 48 thereby affecting by the action of the die face on the ends of the clip the interlocking or clinching of the ends thereof into firm embracement about the spring assembly. 1 I

This completes a clip bending and clinching operation of the clip around a spring leaf assembly and immediately upon the release of the spring from the P ase of operation of the machine shown by Fig. ithemachine will be in readiness for another spring assembly. and clip for the bending and clinching of the clipthereupon. It is to be realized that although the phases of operation have been herein described in steps or stages, the clinching of the clip upon the-leaf spring assembly is completed in one swift, smooth motion thus providing means for simply, quickly and economically performing said operation.

While this invention has been described in connection with certain specific embodiments,

the principle involved is susceptible'of numer ous other applications that will readily occur/to persons skilled in the art. The invention, therefore, is limited only as indicated bythe scope of the appended claims. I

What I claim is: M I

1. Mechanism for clinching the ends of members together comprising a stationary frame, a power actuated member relatively movable thereto, a forming tool pivotally supported there.- on, a pressure block resiliently supported on the power actuated member for limited relative movement thereto, said tool extending substanupon which the clinching is to be done, said pressure block extending lineally away from the power actuating members, and biased therefrom, a greater distance than the forming tool extends therefrom, in .thesame direction, and a lesser distance when of minimum extended length relative thereto, a cam fixedly supported on the frame engageable by the forming tool to control the pivotal movement thereof, and a stationary forming tool on the frame disposed centrally of the pressure pad in spaced relation to the pressure block adapted to engage the work held between the resiliently supported block and pad, said pivotal tool having its forming portion pivoted to a position extending beyond the vise jaw portion of the pressure block when the pivotal toolfis engaged by the earn.

2. Mechanism for clinching the ends of clips upon an assembly of adjacently arranged members comprising a power actuated member, a pressure block resiliently supported thereon for lineal movement with and limitedly relative thereto, atool pivotally supported on the power actuated member extending substantially in the resilient supported direction of the pressure block having a work forming portion on one end normally bearing on the pressure block and relatively movable thereto upon relative movement between the power actuated member and block, astationary frame, a pressure pad resiliently supported on the frame in linear spaced relation to the pressure block cooperable with the pressure block ;.,to provide a vise jaw therebetween for clamping the assembly of members and clip therein; said pad being supported resiliently with a greater force than the resilient support for the block, a cam fixedly mounted on the frame engageable with the tool upon relative movement of the power actuated member and block to move the work forming portion of the tool lineally and angularly beyond the end of the block to engage the clip to perform its work thereon, and a forming tool fixedly mounted on the frame in linear spaced relation to the pressure block intermediate a portion of the pressure padengageable with the ends of the clip held between the block and pad.

GEORGE R. REED.

REFERENCES CITED fhe following references are of record in the file of this patent} UNITED S'I FATES PATENTS V .Ffrankel Jan. 1, 1946 

